It is evident that the purpose of the Order, which functions as an elitist secret society, has changed over time. It was initially established based on the ideas of chivalry, which is formally defined as courteous behavior, especially towards women. It is possible that this affluent group of gentlemen founded the Order with many intentions, one of which was to polish their manners and actions toward women. However, men treat women very differently now than they did 100 years ago. Today’s society tolerates casual relationships between men and women, and in many cases, it is the women doing the work to charm the men, as opposed to men charming women. Society’s social constructs even allow men to take advantage of women, in seemingly harmless ways, such as using degrading terms such as “bitch,” and in more serious ways, such as rape and forced prostitution.
Today, instead of a society based on the foundations of chivalry, the Order has more of a social
function for members. Exclusive events, such as cocktail parties, are open only to members and serve as gross manifestations of their egos. Although membership seems a bit pretentious from an outside perspective, it also serves as symbol of power and popularity in the campus community. Membership, as a whole, is a secret. It is unknown who is currently is a part of this exclusive and elite society, and records of membership are not revealed until 50 years after a member's initiation. It could be boy who is currently sitting next to you. It could be your physics lab partner. It could be your best friend. This element of mystery adds ambiguity that reinforces the power that the members hold over the rest of the community. -Kaelyn Malkoski
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